Over the last year, we have worked towards achieving a new identity for the Clinical Epidemiology Interdiscipli-
nary Research Group and are very pleased to launch the first edition of the newsletter. You will see from the
above photo the 10 members of the IRG Steering Group Committee (see caption for names). We are extremely
pleased to announce that over 30 Principal Investigators have joined the Clinical Epidemiology IRG, along with
over 100 active researcher members across a range of departments within the School of Medicine and University
wide.
In 2007, the IRG won a total of over £7 million in grant income covering 62 active research studies. Highlights of
research grants awarded in 2007 include Biobank Cymru; The Wales School for Primary Care Research; Child-
centred intervention for diabetes medicine management; Magnesium nebuliser trial in children (MAGNETIC); and
an Innovation multidisciplinary patient-centric early detection care model.
Over the last few months, we have worked on a definition of clinical epidemiology and drawn up the IRG research
principles. We have also implemented a new system of internal peer review initially involving a 400 word outline
which is considered for research strategy. Fully worked up applications are then sent for internal peer review by
two reviewers as part of the open peer review process, where volunteers from the IRG membership step forward
to do the work within 48 hours. So far, this process has proven to be successful in both adding value to research
applications and in facilitating a swift progression to application submission stage. We wait to see if we are to win
increased research grants.
The IRG operates within the School of Medicine and includes membership from a range of departments, the larg-
est contributor being Primary Care and Public Health. The IRG works in partnership with a number of other edu-
cational institutions and external organisations, resulting in strategic collaborations such as DECIPHer, the newly
funded Centre for th